Leaf-turning apparatus.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

G. H. MEYER. LEAF TURNING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEE.T 1.

41f %fvmmw THE mums PETERS co., WASHINGTON. 11.4:v

No. 872,665. PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907. G. H. MEYER.

LEAP TURNING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED NQV.12,1906.

2 SHEETSSHIIHT 2.

In: umzms PETERS co.,'w4snmamu, v. c.

GUSTAV HERMANN MEYER, OF GEORGE TOWN, CAPE COLONY.

LEAF-TURNING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed November 12.1906. Serial No. 343.131.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV HERMANN MEYER, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Aderly street, George Town, Cape Colony, South Africa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leaf-Turning Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus of the type used for turning over the leaves of music by means of fingers inserted between the leaves.

In my apparatus the fingers are on arms which are freely mounted on a vertical spindie and are not under any direct control by springs, but are moved to either side by independent levers or pushers which act suc cessively upon the arms and push them one by one to the right or left. The arms pass through a guiding slot in a cylindrical casing inclosing the spindle, the slot having two vertical portions at opposite sides connected by a short sloping part and the complete set of arms is held together so that it moves up and down in the slot as the individual arms are turned from side to side through the sloping part of the slot.

In order that my invention may be more readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying sheet of drawings in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan with parts in section; Fig. i is a sectional elevation of the pusher part of the apparatus to an enlarged scale; Fig. 5 is a detail view of a pusher; and Figs. 6 and 7 are details of the slotted cylinder.

The leaf turning fingers a are carried on the ends of the arms A and the leaves of the music are inserted between the fingers as in the forms of leaf turner hitherto proposed, but the exact method of inserting the leaves is hereafter described. The arms are mounted on the vertical, spindle B through the small bosses or disks (1 and the spindle is contained in the cylinder O which carries at the top the music support or desk D having a small spring clip d (omitted in Fig. 1 for the sake of clearness) which holds the music at the center when it is inserted behind the clip.

The cylinder C has a slot of special form to allow the arm A to pass, the slot consisting of the upper and lower vertical parts E and E and the short sloping connecting portion 6 at the middle. The vertical parts of the slot the arms and permit them to be expanded slightly to allow of easy insertion of the music sheets, while the sloping part is narrow and the vertical parts contract towards it so that in use the front arm at either side is held well back and is not allowed much play. The disks a have small pins o opposite to the arms and the cylinder has a guiding groove t corresponding to the slot just described, this groove serving as an additional support and guide for the arms as they are moved.

In Fig. '7 the slot only is shown to save con fusion, the groove hawlng the same general shape but at opposite sides of thecylinder. The cylinder is also slotted at c to permit the connecting slide F to move up and down, this connecting slide forming a frame keeping the whole set of arms together, so that movement up or down of one arm causes the entire set to move up or down to the same extent.

The bottom of the cylinder is-elosed by the screw cap 0 carrying the small spring 0 which comes into use only when the arms are at the bottom of their slot, the spring then bearing on the bottom of the slide F and keeping the arms up so that the top arm is always at the top of the vertical part E of the slot ready to move into the sloping part 0. The slide is shown in Fig. 2 at the bottom of the cylinder in dotted lines.

At the middle of the cylinder is the independent pushing apparatus consisting of the levers or pushers G and G shown in the form of circular segments, one lying on top of the other, pivoted at g and carrying at opposite ends the spring dogs g which meet the arms A and carry them to one side or the other. The pushers are controlled by springs H, mounted in the circular slotted tubes 71 and lugs g on the pushers project into the tubes and are acted on by the springs. The pushers are actuated by cords or other connections J passing over the pulleys 7' and proceeding to foot or knee operated or other mechanism which allows either cord to be pulled at the will of the player. The pushers and attached mechanism are mounted on the base 75 carried by the casing K through which the apparatus can be secured to the ordinary music desk in the case of a piano or to any ordinary music stand employed in bands or orchestras.

The action of the apparatus is as follows The music is placed on the stand I) and the are of moderate width to allow some play to 1 sheets are inserted between the fingers a which are then at the left hand side with their arms A in the lower part E of the slot, the latter having suflicient width in its vertical portions to allow the fingers to separate to a certain extent and permit the easy entry of the sheets. The upper shoulder of the lower part E of the slot is cut away as shown at e 'jand the groove E correspondingly cut I to permit the arms to swing out, but as this would interfere with the working of the turner the small hinged plate L is provided, held by the, catch Z and having parts Z and Z fitting the cut away portions of the cylinder and forming the shoulders of the slot and groove and when in place keeping the arms at the top of the left hand group well backso as to hold the music sheets steady. The music is turned over to the right side ready for playing as it is inserted sheet by sheet, and when it is to be turned during playing one cord J belonging to the pusher G is pulled and the spring dog 9 engages the bottomarm A and pushes it round to the left through the sloping part .2 of the slot, the whole set of arms moving slightly down owing to the slope of the slot and the connecting slide F. On releasing the cord the lever G returns and the spring do g slips past the next arm on its return am is ready for a further .action which carries the second arm over pushing the first down into the vertical part E of the slot. The operation is repeated and each arm as it turns over passes into this vertical part out of the way, of the following ones. The second pusher G returns the arms and fingers one by one, beginning at the top, each successive arm moving up into position in. the part E of the slot instead of down into E as before, so that the music can be turned back at will and the performer has complete command over it without taking his hands from the instrument.

In the drawings eighteen arms are shown in three groups of different length, the arms lying as nearly as can be arranged in the same plane with the fingers close behind one another, but of course a greater or less number of arms may be used according to the size of the apparatus and the shape and arrangement of the arms and fingers form no part of my invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus for turning the leaves of music, fingers to be inserted between the leaves, arms carrying the fingers free to turn to either side, a spindle on which the arms are pivoted, independent ushers operated by the player, meeting t e front arm on either side andturning it to the opposite side, and means for bringing the arms successively into position for operation by the pushers.

2. In apparatus for turning the leaves of music, turning fingers and arms, a spindle carr in the same inde endent ushers and fingers, .a cylindrical casing having a guiding slot through which the arms pass, consisting of two vertical portions at opposite sides and at the upper and lower part of the cylinder respectively, and a sloping connecting portion, the vertical portions narrowing towards the connecting one but the :lower having its upper shoulder cut away, and .a movable cover piece forming the shoulder when the apparatus is in use, as herein described.

4. In leaf turning apparatus, turning arms and fingers moving singly to either side, a cylindrical casing having a guiding slot for the arms and a slide binding the .arms into a group moving vertically as a whole but permittmg each arm to turn singly in the guiding slot.

5. In leaf turning apparatus the combination of turning fingers and arms free to turn singly in either direction, a vertical slide holding the arms in a group for vertical movement, two pivoted pushers, spring dogs on the ends of said pushers engaging one or other of the arms carrying the fingers temporarily at the front and slipping past the next arm on the return movement, and connections to the pushers enabling either to be turned by the operator at will.

6. In leaf turning apparatus fingers and arms free to turn singly in either direction, two pivoted pushers lying one over the other, spring dogs at opposite ends of the pushers, one dog projecting up and the other down to engage the arms at either side, a circular spring controlling each pushefr and operating connections to the two pushers, substantially as herein described. a

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV HERMANN MEYER.

Witnesses:

JNo. II. RAYNER, H. D. JAMEsoN. 

